Do people get excited over coffee beans like tea drinkers do over beautiful tea leaves?
When I saw the sample for this tea while strolling though the farmers market I knew I had to try it. Long, black leaves twisted and curled slightly; an aroma of honey and cedar.
This is not a machine tea. Leaf perfection like this needs to be worked by hand.
The wet leaves become a chocolaty brown color and gives off a rather strange scent. It’s not bad, I’m just not quite sure of what to make of it. The liquor is silky smooth.
Nothing bitter to it.
Hits the palette just right with essences of honey, cedar, and forest floor.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Great Tea Road Co
Description:
Taiwan is an island near China. Although mountainous, its climate conditions make it ideal for farming. Many Taiwanese have either Chinese and/or original tribal heritage, and the countries main languages are Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese (Min). This tea is uniquely produced with a mixture of local Taiwanese tea cultivar and Burmese tea cultivar. The leaves were picked by hand. Its smell is like light lotus and cinnamon which is uniquely produced in Taiwan.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sun Moon Lake Assam from Cameron Taiwan Premium Loose Leaf Teas . . . .
Sun Moon Lake Black tea from Cameron gets its name from its home region of Taiwan. What a celestial and romantic name! Do how did the tea compare?
This was a competition grade assam black tea. The dry leaves were large and flat, darkly colored from the full oxidation process. When I put my nose into the bag of dry leaves it smelled pleasantly like chocolate and dark plum.
Brewed, this tea was smooth and crisp, which was a bit of a surprise. I’m familiar with assam teas with big names like golden tiger which brew up deep and chocolatey, with a robust warm-and-fuzzy feeling.
This assam was much brighter, tasting a little greener. It reminded me of the tartness of a breakfast black tea, with a brisk and refreshingly dry mouthfeel. Though there wasn’t as much of the cozy chocolate notes as I expected in the brewed tea, there were plenty of sweet fruit flavors like apricot and plum alongside the more traditional black tea notes.
Maybe the duality of Sun and Moon come into play in comparing the tea’s scent with its taste. The fragrance of the dry leaves are very much the evening moon, with darker, richer tones of cacao and purple plum. The brewed leaves are much more like the sun, bright and crisp and perfect for breakfast.
This is a great tea if you are looking for a high quality assam that will surprise you. Take a walk on the brighter side of assam and brew up a cup of Sun Moon Lake tea from Cameron.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Cameron Taiwan Premium Loose Leaf Teas
Description:
Sun Moon Lake is located at altitude of 700m, surrounded with mountains and lakes with remarkable environment and typical climate. Heavy moist and stable yearly average temperature make the tea trees grow thick and rich tea leaves which produce carmine and perfectly clear liquor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
The Dancing Flavors of Sun Moon Lake Tea from Taiwan Leaf Tea. . .
There is a form of hypnosis caused by watching water move – At once it’s both calming and playful, it invites us to stay and watch stories unfold. My folks often invite us over to the lake house, and as much as we can cause a raucous, I take a simple pleasure in just watching the light dancing over the rippling lake. I am doing this as I steep the Sun and Moon Lake tea from Taiwan Leaf Tea.
There are deep chestnut colored, thick, loosely twisted leaves with a hint of apple chips smell to them. They yield a sumptuous auburn colored tea that now smells of rose and honey. Wow, this is so unexpectedly beautiful. I find that as my eyes take in the visual symphony on the water, the medium-bodied mouthfeel of this tea provides an equally stimulating journey for my taste buds. The more I drink it, the more I find to like about it.
Though there are no added flavors, I find a natural hint of sweetness but the tiniest incidental Granny Smith crisp to it, hmmm but without any tart pucker face. I’m torn between adding sugar to bring the flavors out more or leaving it as is. A sip ends with a short, smooth yet robust aftertaste. Nope, that sugar didn’t do anything here to enhance those subtle flavor nuances. On its own, it’s a well-rounded, meditative tea.
One of my favorites from this whole review box, Definitely a keeper. Would be great for sipping during an artistic event – figure skating at the Olympics comes to mind, or even just a walk past the new spring blossoms peeking out lately.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black loose leaf tea
Where to Buy: Taiwan Leaf Tea
Premium Taiwan Sun Moon Lake Black Tea (Tea # 18) is rare black (red) tea from Central Taiwan (Yuchi, Nantou County).
Sun Moon Lake is located in Nantou County in Central Taiwan. It is surrounded by mountains. Average temperature is very stable during the whole year and humidity is very high. These all enable tea leaves grow rich and intense.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
